We have lost two more Comic Book Legends.  Both Joe Rosen and George Tuska, passed away on Thursday.  Joe Rosen has passed away at the age of 88 on October 12, 2009 according to Todd Klein.  George Tuska died near the stroke of midnight, on October 15,2009 at the age of 93 according to his former spokesperson, Dewey Cassell.

More about these legends after the break.

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Joe Rosen

Joe Rosen was longtime letterer at Marvel comics.  His career began as an editor for Harvey Comics in the 1940s.  he then moved to DC, and eventually to Marvel.  It is hard to know what titles he worked on since letterers weren't credited in the old days.  But, I should note that, according to Comic Book DB, he is listed as a letterer on thousands of issues (He also did inking, coloring and editing).  A partial list of titles would include, Captain America, Daredevil, Spider-Man, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Incredible Hulk, The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones, X-Men, X-Factor and the DC/Marvel intercompany crossover book Superman and Spider-Man.  Rosen was well-liked and highly respected.  He was known as speedy, professional, and a quiet fellow.  Rosen was 88 at the time of his death.

George Tuska

George Tuska was an accomplished creator.  He studied at the National Academy School of Art. In the late thirties, he began working on comics as an assistant with the Associated Press newspaper comic strip Scorchy Smith.  During the Golden age of comics, Tuska worked on Shark Brodie, Spike Marlin, Jungle Comics, Wings Comics, Wonderworld Comics, and Mystery Men Comics.  He also worked with on Captain Marvel Adventures, as well as Golden Arrow, Uncle Sam and El Carim.  Tuska drew the debut of the Quality Comics feature "Hercules", which starred a superhuman circus strongman, not the mythological figure — in Hit Comics #1.  Like many other creators, Tuska went off to fight in World War II.  On his return, he worked on Crime Does Not Pay, and then returned to Scorchy Smith as a writer/artist. Tuska also did the Buck Rogers from 1959-1967 comic strip.

In the Silver Age, Tuska freelanced primarily for Marvel.  He penciled and occasionally inked other artists on series including Ghost Rider, Luke Cage, Power Man, Black Goliath, Sub-Mariner, The X-Men and the movie tie-in series Planet of the Apes. Tuska is best remembered for his ten-year run on Iron Man from issue #5  to #106. 

After the Silver Age, Tuska continued to work in comics  and drew DC characters including Superman, Superboy, and Challengers of the Unknown. He also had a 15-year run drawing The World's Greatest Superheroes Present Superman comic strip from 1978-1993.  In the early 2000s, Tuska retired from comics to live in Manchester, New Jersey with his wife Dorothy ("Dot").  The couple had three children. Tuska died near the stroke of midnight, late October 15, 2009.